Miami Dolphins know the Jets will force them to pass
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are getting geared up for a one of those trench games that leaves your face bloody and your nose broken. The Jets and Dolphins are in for a fight.
Miami wraps up a four game home stand that comes with a bye week break last weekend. Jay Ajayi has posted 200 yards in each of his last two games and there is a lot of talk about Ajayi becoming the first player in NFL history to accomplish that in three consecutive games.
The Jets know this and are ready to stop it.
"“Decent back,” Sheldon Richardson said, via ESPN.com. “They found a little groove with him right now. I think we’ve got a game plan for him. We’re not going to be a footnote in history, and that’s how we approach it.”"
The Jets will indeed try to stop Ajayi and their focus will most definitely be on stopping the Dolphins rushing attack. The question is will Miami play into that defensive scheme and throw the ball or will they meet the Jets head on in the trenches and try to muscle their way to a victory?
While you can never say never, the chances of Miami rushing for 200 yards let alone Ajayi doing it alone is very unlikely. The Jets have given up an average of 74 yards per game this year and lead the league in stopping the run. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, it just means it’s going to be very tough.
On the other hand, if Ajayi were to reach the 200 yard plateau this week against the Jets it would be a huge exclamation point for the often maligned offensive line. Miami is healthy heading into the week along the offensive line where Ja’Wuan James, Jermon Bushrod, Mike Pouncey, Laremy Tunsil, and Branden Albert are all starting. The Jets are also healthy on the defensive line and that could make for a very good interior fight.
The Dolphins and Jets always tend to play each other hard and the Dolphins are hoping to end a three game losing streak to the Jets. A win on Sunday would improve the team to .500 which only four weeks ago was believed near impossible. If the Dolphins can continue winning, their could eventually be legit playoff contention talk.
For the Dolphins it’s not really about getting Ajayi those 200 yards but getting a tick mark in the right column. It’s about moving up in the division and continuing to improve. Ajayi could be a footnote in history or maybe not. Either way, the real fight will be for a win.